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Summary: Kingsolver's Use of Literary Devices
Review: I highly recommend the Poisonwood Bible. As I read it, I found that it was very easy to become engrossed in Barbara Kingsolver's clever use of literary devices. Through symbolism, Kingsolver depicts many elements of the plot, and enhances the reader's views on many of the issues that are discussed.
The Poisonwood Bible is a political allegory. Through the book, the reader obtains a view of the Congo, and what America did to it in the early 1960s. The book is narrated through the five main characters in the book. By alternating the narration between characters, Kingsolver gives us the first person narration and view points for each of the five characters. Through each character, Kingsolver also teaches us about the consequences of guilt, and the theme of pantheism as a superior form of religion. The many biblical references that Kingsolver presents give the book a solid tone, and support many of the points that the author makes.
I would recommend this book to people that are willing to read very closely, as many important elements of the plot are missed by careless readers. I would also like to add that this novel is absolutely amazing. Kingsolver not only presents us with an abundance of literary devices, but also with an amazing plot that completely absorbs the reader.
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Summary: Great Story
Review: This book was hard to get into, but once hooked on the story of this family in Africa in the 50's & 60's I couldn't put it down. Beautiful writing and interesting perspectives to have the story told from. Bravo!! Michael Duranko, Bootism: a shoe religion
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Summary: Great Book
Review: This is one of the best books that I have read in a long time.
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Summary: An Engrossing Novel
Review: Books like The Poisonwood Bible are not usually my cup of tea, and I resisted at first when my wife tried to convince me to read it. She was insistent, however, and I reluctantly picked the book up if for no other reason than to have a little quiet at home. My plan was to politely read a couple of chapters and then tell my wife that I tried but it wasn't anything I could get into. So much for my plan. By the time I finished the first chapter I knew that I would be reading the entire novel. The Poisonwood Bible is a pretty good story, but the strength of the book lies in the writer's style and in the individual characters. With different chapters written from different viewpoints, Kingsolver really brings the characters to life in a way that few other authors are able to. I ended up reading this book in just a couple of days, and when I was finished I immediately thanked my wife for this rare treat. If you've read this book you know how engrossing it can be. If you haven't read it, what are you waiting for?
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Summary: You Were There
Review: What an amazing walk through the Congo is this book! From start to finish, Barbara Kingsolver's riveting descriptions and distinct "voices" make this a difficult book to put down. Told from five different viewpoints and five different well-developed characters, this book takes you into the jungles of Africa and into the jungles of the complex characters involved. A powerful piece of female fiction told in a strong and vivid manner, this book is sensational, never losing the interest of the reader.
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Summary: Approach Paper #7
Review: Kingsolver doesn't welcome me with hospitality in the first 200 pages of The Poisonwood Bible (For my first adult novel it was the most pages I ever read and difficult for me to relate and get into the story). The first half of the book seemed to go on and on describing Africa, that was a cram of description for me-details on details about detail and more details. Who knew 200 plus pages could go on and on describing Africa's people, customs, and landscape and still include a story embedded within elaborate description?
Don't get me wrong the descriptions were well written and Kingsolver style with words were avid. I felt she wrote a picture worth a thousand words, her words helped me picture Africa with it's color and primitive beauty that seemed to flow off the pages(seeming too heavy for the pages to support). Once I got accustomed to Kingsolver's language and it began to flow off my tongue easier, I began to feel like I was on the same page. I'm glad I persevered, because now I have a greater respect for English class and it's attempts to broaden my horizons. I couldn't imagine a future of having my hand writing, "She can feel the touch of his long, curled tongue on the water's skin, as if he were lapping from her hand." It must have taken Kingsolver a great deal of time and research to write The Poisonwood Bible, the descriptions, Bible verses, politics, Adah's backward poems, geography of Africa, and the Price family's journey.
The beginning of the book was an uphill climb for me, familiarizing myself with Africa and the Price family. For me, the pace picked up. It then became in the down hill reading -words rolling off the pages becoming pictures in my head. With information that Kingsolver thought necessary, I was able to follow along with what was going on with the Price family. It didn't seem like we were spending forever on one topic and there was less jumping around from one setting to another, which at first was very confusing. In the second half, Kingsolver wrote about politics and places I never heard about, Kingsolver made all the necessary information available to me, helping me understand the Price family's story.
Kingsolver didn't break me in easy to adult reading, but The Poisonwood Bible turned out to be a good read. I got through a 649 page book and I'm now ready for more challenging reads. The Poisonwood Bible is a book for people looking for a story about life discovery, politics, nature's strength, and the value of open-mindedness, acceptance and forgiveness.
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Summary: Beware of the Mamba Snake!!!
Review: WHOA--no way would I have lasted 5 minutes in the Congo described by Kingsolver in The Poisonwood Bible. This story, about 5 people who have no business living in an area where they are not suited, will take you into their world, and you can practically feel what they feel. I liked that the chapters were told by the women in the family--you learn about the tyrannical Baptist minister through their words. The story is well-told, and you'll follow the family for a number of years during their stay in the Congo, and afterwards. I don't want to give anything away here, but you'll laugh (Rachel is the stereotypical "dumb blonde"--but she's got interesting motivations)you'll cry, you'll get angry...read this story. It also has a lot of information about the Congo that I wasn't aware of. Kingsolver weaves a great tale mixed with fact. You'll feel like you've been through a lot with this Price Family.
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Summary: Incredible Read!
Review: This is one of the most amazing books I have read in a while. It is very involved and very deep; make sure you have the time to really sink your teeth into this one. It is an elaborate tale of a family of a father, mother, and 4 girls who travel to the African Congo as missionaries. The father is a Baptist preacher who is to convert the natives. Each chapter is told from a different perspective. For example, one chapter is told by one of the daughters, another from a different daughter, one from the mother, and so on. The writing is phenomenal. Definitely a book to buy. A+.
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Summary: Kingsolver is a Genius
Review: Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible is an excellent novel which deals with issues of culture, race, religion, family, and politics in an engaging, heartfelt, funny and moving manner. The five narrators, each with a different personality and voice (Kingsolver is especially talented in this area), are easy to care about, and are fully realized as opposed to 'mouthpieces', as some have claimed. The last half of the novel does tend to be more straightforward with its political leanings, but the issue is complicated, and requires maximum explanation (Kingsolver, I thought, did a great job of not keeping it "too political" anyway). Why do people resist politics in literature? Art is meant to entertain, yes, but also to enlighten, inform, bring about change. If Alice Walker or Richard Wright--two great writers, among many others, whose politics are evident in their work--had refused to be political, we wouldn't have the wonderful body of work we now have about the black experience. Subtlety, which for some reason is sacred in literature, is way overrated. I like and respect Kingsolver's ability to craft a wonderful novel not ashamed of it's partly-political nature. Aside from that, her prose itself is worth reading the book.
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Summary: A summer reading review
Review: The Poison Wood Bible was a great book. The characters were wonderfully put together. Adah was my favorite character. Even though she was viewed as an outcast by her family, she was the only person who knew who she truly was. The worst part of the book was the plot. It tended to drag on and was hard to follow at times. In conclusion, The Poison Wood Bible is a great book to read if you want to think.
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